Painting Old Interior Trim

I bought a house built in 1920 and am repainting the interior. I would like to do all the trim and molding in a basic semi-gloss white, to highlight the colors I'm putting on the walls. The problem is that there's old paint, cracked in some places, and I don't know what will cover and adhere. I'm fine with scraping any loose stuff off and roughing up the surface if needed, but I don't want to go down to the bare wood.

It appears that the top coat is latex, or at least that's what I think the previous owner slapped on. Not sure what's underneath, and it's a given that there's lead in the earlier layers. What's there seems to have adhered fairly well; though there's cracking in some spots it looks old. No paint is coming off in sheets, it's only peeling where there is a lot of sun exposure/weathering/movement (e.g., window frames).

Another consideration is that over time I will be getting replacement windows (one room done per year, maybe), and I don't know if the existing trim will remain or if it will be removed/replaced. I don't want to do extensive work around the windows if the trim's going to be torn out anyway.

Attached are some photos.

Please be specific in any recommendations; I'm a newbie when it comes to painting.

Painting Old Interior Trim

Yeah, pretty much what they said. Sanding is the easiest, I would invest in a good Palm Sander. They come in handy and are relatively cheap as far as tools go. Also get a good respirator. You dont need a self contained breathing unit or anything, just a good fitting around the mouth and nose, with dust filters, and charcoal chemical filters ( $50 ish for a decent one ) Another good thing to have, that comes in handy.

Painting Old Interior Trim

I would pick up a lead stick at your local paint or hardware store. Better safe than sorry. Not only for health reasons but for legal reasons as well. It could be cheaper in the run by replacing trim one room at a time. Good Luck

Painting Old Interior Trim

Quote:

Originally Posted by waynech

I would pick up a lead stick at your local paint or hardware store. Better safe than sorry. Not only for health reasons but for legal reasons as well. It could be cheaper in the run by replacing trim one room at a time. Good Luck

Painting Old Interior Trim

I live in Mass. and any lead removal has to follow strict guidelines even on your own property. You can remove some lead yourself after an inspection if its deemed low risk. But you must complete a class. If its determined to be high risk, then only a licensed lead removal company can do the job.

Painting Old Interior Trim

Quote:

Originally Posted by waynech

I live in Mass. and any lead removal has to follow strict guidelines even on your own property. You can remove some lead yourself after an inspection if its deemed low risk. But you must complete a class. If its determined to be high risk, then only a licensed lead removal company can do the job.

Painting Old Interior Trim

Quote:

Originally Posted by waynech

I live in Mass. and any lead removal has to follow strict guidelines even on your own property. You can remove some lead yourself after an inspection if its deemed low risk. But you must complete a class. If its determined to be high risk, then only a licensed lead removal company can do the job.

Painting Old Interior Trim

We are not allowed to scrape, that is considered removing. However, I do agree that each state has different requirements. I only mention any of this because I found out first hand. The hard way. Good Luck

Painting Old Interior Trim

Quote:

Originally Posted by waynech

We are not allowed to scrape, that is considered removing. However, I do agree that each state has different requirements. I only mention any of this because I found out first hand. The hard way. Good Luck

Painting Old Interior Trim

This seems rather interesting. Would someone actually go to your house and inspect the paint chips you are scraping??? And how would they know to even go check to see if someone might happen to be scraping to paint???